Now we're getting into the big stuff. Let's talk about sex... baby.
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Purity: Glass of Wine, Glass of Urine
2015.11.29 - Kevin Makins - Sexuality & Incarnation
Purity: Glass of Wine, Glass of Urine
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Luke 8, Leviticus 15, Numbers 19
When you think of Advent and Christmas, what comes to mind?
Mangers? Sheep and oxen? Snow and hot chocolate? God with us?
All good answers. But we’ve talked about that stuff before! Let’s face it, after years and years (and years) of Advent, we could be tricked into thinking we’ve mined the depths of the season, and there is nothing left to discover.
But this, of course, would be a huge mistake… because there is always more to discover.
Advent is about the anticipation of GOD taking on FLESH. God coming entering into God’s creation, taking on our skin, purifying our world, and birthing something new in the midst of it.
And there’s something… deeply sexual about the whole thing!
So what if we explore that for Advent 2015? What might we learn about our relationship with God, with one another, with the creation and with our own bodies?
And how might it fill us again with wonder: Wonder at the Divine Mystery of the Incarnation!
This week we start with what it means to be pure and holy, and how it relates to sex, to God, and to Christmas!
A Pickled People
2015.01.11 - Leshia Knopf - The Church Calendar
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Throughout history and around the world, people who have had an transformative encounter with the Resurrected Jesus have walked into water, surrounded by their community, and have been dunked under and pulled back up.
So… that’s a bit of a weird thing!
Why do followers of Jesus get baptized? And equally important: why in the WORLD was Jesus baptized?
The text:
Mark 1:4-11 4
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Sex: Lines in the Sand - So What?
2014.05.25 - Kevin Makins - So What?
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Here it is: the most important (and awkward) topic on the list! We are surrounded by sex in our culture, but our culture fails to understand it. Our culture is sex OBSESSED, but is still as lonely and disconnected as ever. We are in desperate need of a better word on sex, and the church has tried to bring this word.
The problem is that sometimes, in trying to bring a good word, the church has heaped shame, judgement, and pain on people .
There must be a better way to talk about, and practice, sex as Jesus followers.
COLOSSIANS REMIXED - CHEAP SEX/BAD WORDS/NEW CLOTHES
2013.11.17 - COLOSSIANS REMIXED - Kevin Makins
CHEAP SEX/BAD WORDS/NEW CLOTHES
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Colossians 3: 5-14
That’s a good sermon title. Moving on in Colossians, Paul talks about what we have to take off, and what we need to put on, in order to live in the Kingdom of God.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Targum written and read by Ben Lootens
The wonderful and talented Joanna Aitcheson (bloggy blog!) also created this helpful photo for us, to remind us of what to wear:
Soma: 1 Corinthians - Love is the Wizard
2012.02.19 - Kevin Makins - Soma: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 8
Can Christians: smoke, vote, drink, get tattoos, use facebook, text, watch R rated movies, swear, be cops, or go to porn conventions for Jesus?
Paul’s response? It all comes back to meat sacrificed to idols.
Music led by Alex Drumm and Justine Kormann - starts 52 minutes in.
Soma: 1 Corinthians - Sex & Soma
2012.01.22 - Kevin Makins - Soma: 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:12-7:6
Here’s the thing: sex is all around us. People talk about it, laugh about it, it’s the overarching theme in movies, books and Top 40 - it’s everywhere. And people are fine to talk about sex… until the conversation gets too serious. And then it gets awkward.
But if sex is such a big part of our lives and our culture, shouldn’t we talk about it seriously? Shouldn’t we hold some conviction? And shouldn’t God have something to say about it?
Well… considering the the length of this sermon, apparently God has quite a lot to say on it. What the Bible says about sex is shocking, radically counter-cultural, and good news for those with ears to hear it.
Also, we sort of used fake Twitter to do Q&A… it was fun.
Music led by Tim Selles and Jeff Wynands - starts 1 hour and 24 minutes in.